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Monday, January 14, 2013

Ondo State Commissioner For Transport Slapped A Director In A Different Ministry

The Ondo State Commissioner for
Transport allegedly slapped a director in a different ministry. The
Commissioner of Transport in Ondo State, Nicholas Tofowomo, went to a different
ministry- the Ministry of Works- and slapped a director there, Ondo State civil
servants have alleged.

Staffers of the Ondo State Ministry
of Works on Monday staged a protest to register their displeasure over the
alleged assault of a Director in the Ministry by Mr. Tofowomo.

Mr. Tofowomo was said to have
slapped one M.J. Afeniforo, the Director Mechanical of the Works Ministry,
during an argument between the two men. Sources said the commissioner had
approached Mr. Afeniforo for a tractor but he was told that all the tractors
owned by the works ministry were being used for different projects.

The director reportedly explained to
the commissioner that even the Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, who has
authority to release the tractor was at Ilara Mokin where he was inspecting
road projects.

The source said Mr. Tofowomo called
his counterpart at the Ministry of Works on the telephone, telling him that Mr.
Afeniforo said the works minister had diverted all the tractors to his home
town.

An argument ensued during which the
commissioner allegedly slapped the director for arguing with him; an attitude,
the source in the ministry said has been the commissioner’s habit.

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour
Congress and the Trade Union Congress converged on the premises of the ministry
to protest the assault on Mr. Afeniforo.

The quick intervention of the
Chairman of the Joint Negotiation Council, Solomon Adelegan, prevented the
crisis from degenerating as he persuaded the workers against taking laws into
their hands.

The Head of Service, Kosemani
Kolawole, has invited the assaulted director and the permanent secretary of
ministry to a meeting to address the issues. The workers have, however, vowed
to deal with the commissioner.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach
Mr. Tofowomo were unsuccessful as he did not pick or return calls made to his
phone.